Car maintenance tips – Changing a tyre
It is important to learn how to changing a flat or damaged tyre as this can be a complicated process for those who have never had to it before. Like everything, with a bit of instruction and perhaps practice at home, when faced with a flat tyre you should be prepared.
The first thing you need to do it identify which tyre is flat, this is normally fairly obvious from looking at the tyre, it should be bulging from the low air pressure and look flat compared to the others. However if you have trouble you could use a digital tyre pressure gauge to pin point which tyre is losing air.
The second thing you'll need to do is get the required tools, in new cars the tools will most definitely be with the spare tyre or in the boot somewhere. Older or second hand cars may not have these tools as the previous owner may have kept them or lost them. So if you've bought a second hand car recently check to see if the tools (a tyre iron /socket wrench and car jack) are all there in case you need them.
There should be a specific point on the body work of the car that is designed for the jack to attach to, using the tools, find the point and ensure the jack stays in place. You should be careful to make sure you don't use the jack in the wrong place as this can damage the bodywork or trim. Before raising the car you will need to loosen the nuts on the wheel you are replacing, this is because the wheel will simply spin round if you try to loosen the nuts once elevated.
Make sure you loosen or tighten nuts in opposite pairs; this is the safest way to use wheel nuts according to mechanics and car plant workers. Once the wheel nuts are loose, begin raising the car up on the jack, only raise the car as much as is needed, any more and you could make the car unstable and it could fall off the jack. It is always safest to use a jack on a clear flat surface so it doesn't slip, if you have stopped on gravel you could place a piece of strong flat wood underneath the jack to secure it.
Once that car is raised on the jack remove the wheel nuts completely and lift the wheel away from the car, you need to store this wheel in your car. Next you need to bring out the spare tyre and place it on the car, attaching the wheel nuts again. Once they are as tight as you can get them, lower the car off the jack and tighten up the nuts again with the tyre iron or wrench.
Your car should now be safe to drive, however depending on the vehicle, your spare tyre may not be suitable to drive on indefinitely so it is advisable to drive to your nearest garage or tyre centre to get your main wheel repaired or refitted. It is also important to remember that some spare wheels are only designed to be used at low speeds so consider this if you are travelling on a motorway.
If your car has seen better days then buying a new car could be best, help spread the cost of buying a new car by getting a car using car finance or car loans to help afford a better and safer model.